Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Pope John Paul II. He was born on May 18th 1920 in Poland. His parents named him Karol Wojtyla after his father. His life was full of tragic losses. He lost his older sister even before he was born and his mother died of a heart attack when he was only a child of eight and later he lost his physician brother to scarlet fever and his father died of heart attack as well.
In the 1940's Poland was taken over by the Nazi's and he had to undergo many hardships to escape being caught by the Nazi's or imprisoned by them. He had several accidents which could have taken his life but God preserved him for his great mission of peace and reconciliation for this world.
He was a prolific speaker, writer and an actor. He was introduced to Carmelite mysticism and wanted very much to become a Carmelite friar. However his bishop guided him to become a diocesan priest. He was ordained in 1946 and became a cardinal in 1967. After the premature death of Paul VI, Cardinal Karol was elected to succeed him as the Pope. He took the name John Paul II.
During his long tenure as a Pope from 1978 to 2005 he traveled to many countries around the world and started World Youth Day movement which is continued to this day and is one of the most powerful and spirit filled events for Catholic youth around the world. Many participants come back transformed after attending these events. Also he played a very critical role in the demise of Communism in Russia through dialogue, negotiation and prayer.
John Paul II commissioned a panel of Cardinals and Bishops to compile a comprehensive text that outlines the Christian and Catholic teachings and doctrines called the Catechism of the Catholic church. This is used both as reference and as study material around the world by Catholics to better live out the vocation and mission of Christ in modern times.
There was an assassination attempt by a radical Islamist on his life on May 13th 1981, however the bullet shot by the Turkish gunman missed his vital organs. Later Pope John Paul attributed his escape to the hand of the Blessed Virgin Mary guiding the bullet. His words: "One Hand Pulled the Trigger, Another Guided the Bullet”. May 13th was the anniversary day of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima to the three shepherd children Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco. Later Pope John Paul traveled to Fatima and he had the bullet embedded in the crown that is placed on the head of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. He forgave the assassin Mehmet Ali Ağca and visited him in prison and spoke with him for twenty minutes. Several years later Mehmet had a conversion of heart and even wanted to spend the rest of his life in Poland as a Catholic priest. He lived the message of divine mercy in his everyday life.
In his final days his speech and mobility was greatly impacted by Parkinson's disease however he continued to carry out his duties as a Pope until his last breathe. He died on the vigil of the Feast of Divine Mercy which he implemented based on the visions of Saint Faustina who he had canonized in 2000, a Polish saint who Jesus had commissioned to spread the message of His Divine Mercy to the world in preparation for His second coming.
Pope John Paul II is especially special to me since he was the Pope for most of my childhood, adolescent and adult life. His visit to India left a lasting impact on my life and the lives of several others. He had a very special friendship with Mother Teresa who is also a saint now. Together they were evangelizers of Christ, spreading the message of peace, love and tolerance to the whole world. 
Pope John Paul II pray for us!

Saint Teresa was born in the year 1515 in Spain. She was raised as a devout Catholic by her parents especially her mother. At the age of seven she and her brother tried to run away from home to become martyrs but were brought back home. Her mother died when she was a young child which made Teresa develop a very close friendship with the Blessed Virgin Mary. She joined the Carmelite order to lead a monastic life at the age of eighteen. However she found the order was not living up to it's initial zeal and fervor. The observances of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience was very much lacking. She then initiated a reform by returning to the original approved constitution of Carmelites in the early 1200's and also several women joined her in this reform. She formed many new houses which were based on this reformed and later Saint John of the Cross joined her and the reform spread among the friars as well.
Saint Teresa enjoyed many mystical visions and had the gift of levitation. However she was very practical and pragmatic in living out her Carmelite vocation. Her life and leadership attracted so many of her times and present times to Christ and His Mother and to lead a life of holiness. She made contemplation, mental prayer and the pursuit of holiness attractive and desirable for all.
Saint Teresa is most known for her literary works including the two popular works: The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. She was canonized by Pope Gregory the Great in 1622 and was declared a Doctor of the Church by  Pope Paul VI in 1970.
Saint Teresa of Avila pray for us!

The Angel of Peace: In the year 1916 three shepherd children, Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta who were ages nine, eight and six respectively were pasturing their sheep on the mountains near Fatima, Portugal. Suddenly the children were visited by an angel of God from heaven. He called himself the Angel of Peace. This was the first time the children had experienced something of this nature. They went back home and decided to keep it a secret. Again few months later the children were visited by the same angel. This time the angel called himself the Guardian Angel of Portugal. He asked the children to pray offer all they do as a reparation for the conversion of sinners and to pray for Portugal. The angel visited the children a third time and this time he came with a golden chalice and a Host from which blood was dripping into the chalice. The angel prostrated before the suspended Chalice and Host in adoration.
The Lady brighter than the Sun: After these three visions in the cave near the mountains of Fatima, on May 13th 1917 the children were visited by beautiful lady from heaven while they were pasturing their sheep. She appeared on top of a tree and was enveloped in light. She was more beautiful than the angel, wore a white dress and had a mantle that covered her head and shoulders. She held a beautiful rosary made of white pearls on one hand. The lady was none other than the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The lady asked them to return to the same place in Cova da Iria every month on the 13th. She asked them to pray the rosary daily.
People in the village of Fatima came on June 13th along with the children but only the children could see her and many disbelieved the children's vision including Lucia's own mother. This was a form of penance for the children. Our Lady told the children during her visit that Jacinta and Francesco would be taken to heaven soon but Lucia will remain on earth for a long time to bear witness to the message of these visions to the world.
On July 13th Our Lady showed them the vision of hell where the souls of poor sinners go. She then told them that in order to save them God wishes to establish the devotion to her Immaculate Heart. In this vision Our Lady told the children that the first world war would end but a worse war would begin and also told Lucia that there will be an unknown light in the sky that will signal the starting of this terrible war. Our Lady also told the children that war was a punishment allowed by God for the sins committed by people to offend God. She also told the children that Russia would spread a grave error in the world -Communism - which would bring about great persecution of the Church and the Pope. Also that these errors will bring more wars and suffering for people around the world. At the end of 1917 communism seized power under the leadership of Lenin and ended the era of Czar's in Russia. Our Lady asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart for the conversion of Russia and for an era of peace to be granted to the world. Our Lady also promised Lucia that there will be a spectacular miracle in October so that people will believe the message.
The August apparition on 13th did not occur because the local civil authorities imprisoned the children and threatened them with severe persecution if they refused to cooperate with them. However the children did not break the promise of secrecy which Our Lady had asked of them. The children were released after a few days and the vision occurred on August 19th.
By this time the news had spread throughout Portugal and on September 13th 30,000 people were present for the apparition. There was mysterious shower of white petals that dissolved as it was reaching the ground and everyone was able to see it. Also many people were able to see a light above the tree when Our Lady appeared and conversed with the children.
The Miracle of the Sun: Finally the day on which the miracle promised by Our Lady arrived and there were 70,000 people gathered to witness this event. And many were reporters and atheists who came to discredit the phenomena. It was raining heavily but that did not deter the people. On October 13th 1917 after she spoke to the children, Our Lady pointed her finger to the Sun and Lucia did the same. Immediately the people looked at the sky. As they watched the rain stopped, the clouds parted and the sun shone like a silver disc, almost like a moon. Suddenly the Sun began to spin wildly in the sky and emitted rainbow colors. This phenomena occurred three times and was observed by all the people present and also people who were several miles away. Then suddenly the sun hurled itself towards the earth at a high speed. People were terrified and began to plead for mercy and prayed for protection and many thought it was the end of the world. Then just as suddenly as it began everything went back to the way it was before the miracle began. The ground was dry and many who were sick were healed. During the miracle of the sun the children saw a vision of St. Joseph with the holy family, then Our Lady appeared as the Mother of Sorrows, and finally she appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth and holding a brown scapular in her hand.
Call to Action: Here are some ways we can fulfill the request of Our Lady of Fatima: live a life of pray, penance, and reparation; pray the rosary daily; go to confession and receive the Eucharist on five consecutive first Saturdays; Consecrate ourselves and our families to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Reference: Our Lady of Fatima Peace Plan from Heaven - Tan Books

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary which was first celebrated during the 1500's as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. The Feast was initially established to commemorate the victory of the Christian naval fleet at Lepanto through the intercession of the Mother of God. It is said that as they prayed the rosary the winds changed direction and favored them and this resulted in their victory even though they were outnumbered by the Ottoman naval fleet. The weak and the vulnerable can always turn to Our Blessed Mother for her prayers and for God's help and protection.

In many apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary around the world she has asked people to pray the rosary to obtain peace for the world and the end of wars. Rosary is a powerful weapon to end wars and obtain peace without any bloodshed or violence. May we adopt this peaceful instrument of peace to promote brotherhood and peace among all people. 

The Holy Rosary is a meditative devotional prayer in honor of the mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer is prayed on a set of beads strung together to make the rosary beads. It has been the most common form of meditative prayer among Catholics for many centuries especially since Our Lady taught the formula of the rosary to Saint Dominic. 

​The rosary meditation comprises of three traditional mysteries, "Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious" and one modern set of mysteries "Luminous" that was introduced in the twentieth century by Pope John Paul II. Each of the sets of mysteries reflect on key events surrounding the birth, life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. 
The Joyful Mysteries reflect the events around the birth and early childhood of Jesus in the care of Mary of Joseph.
The Luminous Mysteries reflect the key events during the public ministry of Jesus. 
The Sorrowful Mysteries reflect on the passion and death of Jesus.
The Glorious Mysteries reflect on the resurrection of Jesus and the events that followed immediately afterwards.
You can find out more about how to pray the rosary here:  
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, a polish modern day saint. She entered the congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at the age of twenty-five. She was born in the year 1905 and died at the age of thirty-three in Cracow, Poland. She lived through World War I  and her mission and message was sent to the world right before World War II. As God sends His saints as messengers to people to address particular needs for that time, so did He send Saint Faustina around a time when human civilization was going out of control from greed for power and control and had lost it's sensitivity to violence. 
Saint Faustina had frequent visions of Jesus, Mary and saints during her life time and in those encounters she was asked by Jesus to proclaim the message of God's divine mercy to the world. In short, God does not wish to punish mankind, he wishes to save us and restore peace in the world provided the world would accept the divine merciful love that God offers us through Jesus Christ's passion, death  on the cross and resurrection. She was ordered by Jesus to write down this message in a diary and this has been published around the world in several languages.
He also asked her to have an image painted for our veneration of the divine mercy of God. The devotion of this image has spread to all parts of the world and most Catholic homes now have an image of divine mercy on display.
There are several messages which were conveyed in this diary for us including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy which was taught by Jesus to Saint Faustina to be recited as often as possible especially when we enter the chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is housed. It has become one of the most popular devotions after the Rosary devotion. Jesus has promised to grant any prayer request so long as it conforms with God's will, if we meditate on His passion during the three o'clock hour, the hour of his death on the cross. Special graces were promised by Jesus  on the first Sunday after Easter for those who venerate the image of divine mercy, do a corporal or spiritual work of mercy, go to confession and receive the Holy Eucharist, now this day is celebrated throughout the Catholic Church worldwide as the Divine Mercy Sunday.  The special grace would give a complete remission of all the sins committed by the soul including any temporal punishments due to those sins, thus making the soul as innocent as a newly baptized person. 
Saint Faustina was declared a saint by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000. She is the "Great Apostle of Divine Mercy" and as Jesus declared to her, she was sent to us by God for the new millennium and to prepare us for His second coming. 
Saint Faustina, pray for us that we may approach the mercy of God confidently no matter how far away from God and how deep in sin we may be!

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis was the son of a rich merchant Pietro Bernandone in Assisi, Italy. On the day of Francis' birth his mother Blessed Pica was in very difficult labor pains. Suddenly a stranger wearing pilgrim clothes appeared at their doorstep asking for alms. When the maid went to give him alms he told her that unless Pica was moved to the stable the baby will not be born. Immediately after Pica was moved to the stable baby Francis was born. 
In his youth Francis spent his days with his friends in dancing, singing and courting women. As young of Assisi went to war, Francis also joined them. However on his way he was taken a prisoner and during that time he experienced a deep conversion. He left the luxuries of his home and embraced a life of poverty and severe penance.
One day he saw a vision of Jesus prompting him to rebuild the church that lay ruins. Saint Francis took it literally and rebuilt with his own hands the church of Saint Damiano and several other churches. However later on he realized that the Lord had asked him to rebuild the spiritual condition of the Church which lay in ruins. Thus began his zeal to preach the word of God to whoever would listen to him. Sometimes when he found no people who would listen to his sermons, he would preach to the birds and animals. Saint Francis had a deep love for nature and creation. There were many occasions when birds of various colors would folk to him and he was known to even have befriended a fearsome wolf near the village. So on the day of his feast pets are blessed all around the world! 
Saint Francis is most well known for his great love for the poor and he led a life of extreme deprivation. He spent several weeks and months in solitary prayer and with minimum nourishment. In one instance he fasted for forty days in an island on water alone. 
During his final days Francis went into solitary living in the hills of La Verna and on the Feast of the Exaltation he received the gift of the five wounds of Jesus, the stigmata. When he took very ill he was brought to the little chapel of Portciuncula dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. When he died legend says that one of the friars was able to see his soul in the appearance of a bright star being led by the angels to heaven.
Saint Francis is the founder of the Franciscan order and he had also assisted Saint Clare his friend to found the order of Poor Clares for women. 
Saint Francis please pray for us and help us to emulate your love for the poor and underprivileged!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. There are several passages in the Bible that speak to us about the appearance of angels usually bearing a message from the spiritual realm and in other instances they are sent by God to protect or preserve from harm individuals or a group of people. Catholics believe that each of us are assigned an angel to guide us on this life journey so we can reach heaven unharmed. Many parents have witnessed the presence of their child's guardian angel when the child was going through some extraordinary problems in their life. We know there were many saints in history who were able to see their guardian angel all the time. These are rare but are happening even today. Our guardian angels are in the presence of God and they are constantly interceding for us. 
We also know as Christians that the angels will come at the close of age as the scripture passages below indicate to gather the faithful into paradise.
"At the close of age, the angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous" - Matthew 13:41
"He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four wind, from one end of heaven to the other" - Matthew 24:31
However when this will be is not known to anyone. We do know that this cannot happen before the Gospel has been preached to every living person. And we also know that there will be an acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah by the chosen people of God, the Jewish nation before the end of time and space as we know it arrives. In the below verse Jesus could also be referring to this. 
"So the last will be first, and the first last" - Matthew 20:16
However we need not have any fear or apprehension but only strive to live in the moment because God has given us his angels to guard and protect us. The angels are always eagerly waiting for us to speak with them. They wish to help us in not just our spiritual journey but also in our temporal needs. We can send our guardian angel as a messenger to the guardian angels of those from whom we seek a favor or who we wish to speak to but cannot do so directly. Our guardian angels are powerful creatures who can convey these messages more effectively than we can if we were to speak to the person directly. 
I wish to end with the following prayer to our guardian angel:
Angel of God my guardian dear, 
To whom God's love, commits me here
Ever this day, be at my side
To light and guard, to rule and guide. 
Amen!

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Therese, the Little Flower. Saint Therese was the ninth child of Louis Joseph Martin and Zelie. She was born in the year 1873 in Alecon, France. Her parents were devout Catholics who had aspired to religious life but later chose the vocation of marriage. Being the ninth child in the family she was constantly surrounded with affection from her older siblings and her parents. Her father used to call her "The Little Queen". 
The love and care of her family made Therese become overly sensitive and needy. Her mother died at the young age of 45 when Therese was only four years old. Her sisters Marie and Pauline cared for her after that. This left a big impact on Therese's personality and she was more melancholic than before. 
It was not until she was thirteen that an incident that happened during a Christmas season changed her and made her stronger. The family had come back from midnight mass and were exhausted but Therese was looking for her presents and her father commented that this would be the last year she receives presents, this caused sensitive Therese to run upstairs to her room sobbing. However, soon she was completely changed in an instant and became indifferent to such frivolous matters. This change was so clear that she wrote it in her autobiography which she had titled, "The story of the springtime of a little white flower". She often called herself the Little Flower out of humility and love for God. Later the title was changed to "The story of a soul". 
Saint Therese had another special experience when she was very ill as a child and was so delirious and sick for several weeks. One day the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary came alive and smiled down at her. In that very instant she was completely healed and became well again. 
At the age of fifteen she entered Carmel to become a cloistered sister. Her older sisters had already joined Carmel and she was eager to as well. During her time in Carmel she had several physical ailments and interior sufferings. At the young age of twenty-four after being in Carmel for only nine years she died of tuberculosis. Her last words were, "God, I love you!".
Saint Therese's Little way spirituality, was simply to place oneself completely in the arms of Jesus so he can lift us up to high degrees of holiness rather than for us to strive for it with our own effort. Her life was a reflection of God's love and mercy. Saint Therese loved to suffer for Jesus and she found joy in suffering which is a gift that is given to very few souls. Here is an excerpt from her poem, "My Joy and My Peace":
When clouds the sunny skies o'ercast
And weary grows my heart the while,
My joy it is that joy is past,
And gone my Lord's consoling smile
Saint Therese pray for us and may our children who are our "Little Queens" emulate the virtues of the Little Flower!